20 Best Latin Recipes!

Happy Birthday TLK!  It's our one year anniversary and we're celebrating the best way we know how: by cooking and eating. To make our menu, we've picked the 20 most popular Latin recipes on the site - the recipes that you, our readers, like the best! From croquetas to mojitos, dulce de leche (of course!) to churrasco, here's a roundup of the 20 best Latin recipes (as chosen by readers) on The Latin Kitchen.

Thanks for supporting us through this delicious year and here's to many more meals together! 

Buen provecho, indeed. 

Chicken Croquettes

Chicken Croquettes are a perfect make ahead party snack. Store your rolled croquettes in the fridge in sealed plastic bags and all you have to do when your guests arrive is fry them until crispy and golden brown. This recipe starts with cooked chicken (great for leftover roasted or grilled chicken) and is seasoned with sauteed onion, bell pepper, garlic, and a dash of ground cumin.

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Sweet Potato Turnovers

Latin America has plenty of recipes for empanadas, both sweet and savory. The crust in the recipe is an old-fashioned vinegar and egg crust. The vinegar prevents the development of the wheat gluten in the flour, which can make the crust tough. The protein in the egg keeps the crust tender as well. Be warned that you might see a few pickled strands of egg in your dough, but they won’t hurt the flavor or texture of your empanada. Back in the day, if you were the not-so-skilled home baker, this recipe would guarantee a tender result. 

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Grandma Anna's Puerto Rican Rice and Black Beans

This dish, a classic in my grandmother's Puerto Rican kitchen, is a favorite in my family. You can turn up the heat by adding a few extra shakes of red pepper flakes, and enhance the smoky flavor by lacing with bacon. Either way, make extra, so you have leftovers for days to come!

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Coconut Rum Tres Leches

This recipe takes the beloved tres leches cake and kicks it up a few tasty notches. With the addition of finely shredded coconut, coconut milk and dark rum, it’s dessert and a cocktail rolled into one. If you like extra boozy desserts feel free to add a little more rum. But note that a little dark rum goes a long way in this recipe.

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Jose Garces' Amada Tortilla Española

This classic is a staple of the Spanish diet. Comforting and hearty, the dish has humble roots, using a easy to find ingredients and easy enough to whip up for and feed an entire crowd. 

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Classic Mojito

This authentic recipe for the classic mojito is crisp, refreshing, and fruity. Mix a pitcher for happy hour, enjoy one before or after drink, or settle into your night with one in hand.

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Arepas con Carne Molida

Arepas, a traditional Venezuelan dish, are versatile and can definitely carry the weight and flavor of spicy  fillings like ground beef. To save time and avoid using two pans, cook arepas first in a press to develop a crust while you heat the aromatics for the filling on the stove, then transfer the arepas to the oven as usual. The filling will be ready and waiting by the time the arepas are done and you'll have one less pan to clean.

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Molten Dulce de Leche Cake

The volcan de chocolate is an Argentine classic, but no easy feat to perfect. To get the sponge cake cooked and the interior suitably oozy takes a masterful touch. Here, the dulce de leche heart replaces the classic molten chocolate center to make a sinfully sweet dessert. 

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Garlic Asparagus with Chorizo

This quick and easy dinner side combines crispy, crunchy grilled asparagus with savory and spicy chorizo. Serve it next to your favorite main or make a double portion and enjoy as a full meal.

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Salsa de Chile de Arbol

Dried chile de arbol pods are used widely throughout Latin America. You can find them in the international foods section of most well stocked grocery stores. Here they are blended with the familiar flavors of garlic, lime, and salt.

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Avocado-Chile Brownies Topped With Avocado-Tequila Ice Cream

Avocado is in every bite of this decadent dessert, it adds a creamy touch to tequila-laced ice cream as well as a rich component to chocolate brownies spiced with chile. 

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Anthony Lamas' Puerto Rican Mofongo

This mofongo pairs slow roasted pork served over a plantain and bacon mash with a tangy citrus vinaigrette that hints of of the Caribbean.

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Picadillo Stuffed Plantains

Plantains usually enhance your plate as the perfect side dish. With this recipe, you can make plantains the star. A baked plantain overflowing with ground beef, topped with shredded queso blanco and caramelized to a golden bubbly perfection. Who can say no to that?

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Pernil (Roast Pork)

In my Dominican familia, nothing says celebration like puerco asado (roast pork) or pernil as it is commonly referred to. It’s often associated with the holiday season, but at my house any occasion is good enough to dish out this succulent creation.

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Coquito Cupcakes

This recipe takes the classic Puerto Rican drink, coquito, a mixture of milks with a strong dash of rum, and turns it into a luscious dessert. Bake these up for the holidays or just for the perfect after dinner sweet.

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Gin and Tonic

Despite gin's traditional English roots, the classic gin and tonic mixed drink has a distinctive Latin heritage, and is considered the national drink of Spain. Jose Andres', one of America's favorite Spanish chefs, sweetens his gin and tonic with juniper berries, lemon, and lime. 

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Grilled Churrasco Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Churrasco is perfectly delicious on its own. But my favorite part of eating it has more to do with its accompanying sauce, which is usually a chimichurri. Traditionally this sauce is made with a base of parsley but substituting it with cilantro makes this chimichurri extra special. The sauce’s tangy bite is so delicious that you are going to want to put it on everything you eat. Pairing it with the char of the churrasco may make you want to even venture into a winter grilling experiment.

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Arroz con Leche

The cinnamon and condensed milk in this rice pudding give it a distinctly Latin flavor and the creamy and tender texture make it comfort in a bowl.

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Christy Vega's Tortilla Soup

This soup is a Mexican classic, combining hearty chicken, homey and comforting chicken stock, warm tortillas, and a dash of cumin for a soup perfect for any meal. 

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